To those of you visiting Just Women’s Sports for the first time, welcome — you’re coming aboard at just the right time. To those of you who have been with us from day one, thank you — your loyalty and support are what’s made today possible.

We are thrilled to announce our seed financing, led by Will Ventures and with participation from Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures, as well as an incredible group of athletes, including Elena Delle Donne, Hilary Knight, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Arike Ogunbowale.

With this fundraising, we’re taking JWS to a whole new level, which is why we wanted to take a moment to re-introduce ourselves.

First off, you might be asking: Why Just Women’s Sports?

We exist because just 4% of media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. We’re here to change that. From podcasts and newsletters, to highlights and long-form features, we’re building the media ecosystem these fans and athletes deserve.

We’re already delivering comprehensive coverage and one-of-a-kind original features. Now, we’re ramping it up. We have new teammates, new investors and new athlete partners, who all believe that women’s sports are worth more than a token vertical or back-page story.

Together, we are going to take our coverage to the next level.

What do we have to offer right now?

• Podcasts:
• • Just Women’s Sports (hosted by Kelley O’Hara): The two-time World Cup champ sits down with the biggest athletes in the world to discuss the untold stories behind their success.
  • Tea with A & Phee (hosted by A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier): The reigning WNBA MVP and 2019 Rookie of the Year take you inside the WNBA season.
  • Snacks (hosted by Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams): Two of soccer’s biggest stars dish on the USWNT, NWSL, life off the field and everything in between.
• Social media: Everything you need to see and know in women’s sports, at the click of a button or swipe through. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
• Newsletter: Every Tuesday and Friday, we deliver all of the top women’s sports news, scores and storylines straight to your inbox.
• Reads: Keep up with the latest news, highlights, conversations and viral moments on our website, your daily home for all things women’s sports.
• Merch: Be a walking billboard for women’s sports by rocking a JWS hoodie, hat, beanie or mug.

What can you expect from us next?

• More content: The WNBA and NWSL regular seasons are around the corner. The Olympics are fast approaching. Much more is on the way. We’ll have regular coverage of what’s happening in and around the competition, from player features and interviews to rankings and analysis.
• More shows: We’re partnering with some of the biggest names in the game and the ideas are flowing. We want to pull back the curtain even more to show you what life is like for these athletes on and off the field, as they chase championships, change culture, push for social justice and build their own businesses. Stay tuned.
• More hype: We can’t celebrate women in sports and amplify their voices unless their work is accessible. Bringing that to you is behind everything we do, and the product is only getting bigger and better. This is a commitment, not a pastime; an investment, not a trial.

At Just Women’s Sports, we’re 100% women’s sports, 100% of the time. And we’re still just getting started.

So, don’t go anywhere, because the untold stories in women’s sports are bursting at the seams. And we’re going to be the ones who bring them to you first.

Over two decades after first hitting theaters, Bend It Like Beckham is on track for a sequel, Gurinder Chadha — the director and co-writer of the 2002 women's soccer blockbuster film — confirmed on Saturday.

"I'm excited to revisit the original characters and revive the enduring story and build on the legacy we helped to create for the women's game," she told Deadline late last week.

Though the new script is still in development, Chadha is aiming to collaborate again with co-writer Paul Mayeda Berges and hoping to lure the original cast — led by actors Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley — back to set.

With women's football booming both in England and beyond, London-based Chadha has been ruminating on a Bend It Like Beckham follow-up for the last two years.

"I [initially] didn't want to do anything because I didn't have a story. And then I came up with a great story, really super-cool story. So now I’m inspired," the filmmaker explained. "It's my very clear wish to bring the characters back very, very soon. Women's football is more competitive, more exciting, and more global than ever. It is an honor for me to be a small part of it."

"Bend It Like Beckham" sequel snags assist from USWNT boss

As part of her development process, Chadha is consulting with major players in the women's soccer space — including USWNT manager Emma Hayes, whom Chadha met at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May.

"[Hayes's] insights into the world of football at her level are invaluable," noted Chadha.

As for Hayes, assisting Chadha is somewhat of a full-circle moment for the decorated London-born women's soccer coach.

"I cried in the cinema watching the film because I felt just like [the main characters] Jess and Jules," Hayes told Deadline. "There was no hope for women's football in Britain then so I was going to the States to try my luck."

"Twenty-three years ago I could never have dreamed of how much that film changed the women's game, and now I have the best job in the world: head coach of the US women's national team."

The Bend It Like Beckham sequel is aiming for a 2027 debut to coincide with both the 25th anniversary of the original film's UK opening and the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham became the latest WNBA player on the mic this week, as the outspoken athlete launched a new podcast on sports media personality Colin Cowherd's The Volume network.

Entitled "Show Me Something" in reference to the two hosts' Missouri roots, the podcast features the seven-year WNBA veteran as well as her former high school classmate and current Summer House reality star West Wilson.

"We're definitely going to hit on the WNBA, a huge topic in sports right now, and then Bravo, clearly, but pop culture, food, fashion, travel... we really do talk about anything," Cunningham said about the variety of topics she'll be discussing with her childhood friend on their podcast. "Our love language is, like, s—t-talking."

The media move follows several recent endorsement deals for Cunningham, as she continues to capitalize on the social media bump she experienced following a June 17th dust-up with Connecticut Sun players.

In this week's first episode, the 2025 Fever addition did not hold back, immediately digging into the ongoing discourse surrounding superstar teammate Caitlin Clark.

"There's really good, well-known people in our league. I'm not discrediting them," Cunningham said. "But when people try to argue that [Clark's] not the face of our league, or if our league would be where we're at without her, you’re dumb as s—t. You’re literally dumb as f—k."

USC women's basketball is stocking up, bringing on their third No. 1 high school prospect in four years with top-ranked Saniyah Hall committing to the Trojans on Friday.

Set to join the team for the 2026/27 season, Hall follows in the footsteps of 2023 top recruit JuJu Watkins and Class of 2025 No. 1 prospect Jazzy Davidson.

USC reportedly beat out both North Carolina and UCLA in the race to secure a commitment from Hall.

The Northeast Ohio product will close out her high school career at SPIRE Academy, returning to her home state following a junior-year campaign with Montverde Academy in Florida.

The 6-foot-2 guard, who turned 17 years old on Wednesday, has also seen significant international success, first helping Team USA earn gold in the 2024 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup.

Hall added a 5x5 gold medal to her collection earlier this month, when the then-16-year-old set records en route to securing Team USA the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup title.

Her US U19-record 19.9 points per game — plus team-leading averages of 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.9 steals across the competition's seven games — saw the starter named tournament MVP following the July 20th championship victory.

Shortly after returning Stateside, Hall visited USC, announcing her NCAA basketball commitment almost immediately after leaving campus.

"I would say it felt like home. I loved all of my teammates," Hall told ESPN's NBA Today on Friday. "The girls there are so fun to be around."

Embattled ex-Canada women's national team coach Bev Priestman has officially left the country, relocating to New Zealand to manage A-League Women's side Wellington Phoenix FC.

"We're really pleased to be able to welcome Bev back to football," Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison said in the club's announcement. "We all know she's had a period of time away from the game, but we understand the circumstances and we're really comfortable with this appointment."

In addition to her firing from Team Canada, Priestman served a one-year suspension from all football-related activities, finishing that mandatory moratorium this month.

FIFA issued the suspension after determining that Priestman was guilty of spying on opponents via illegal drone use during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"For me, I didn't feel safe, that's being brutally honest," she told reporters this week, commenting on the drone scandal's local fallout. "It was very difficult for my family and I have to live with that. I have to wear that."

The Wellington Phoenix — the lone New Zealand club competing in the top-flight Australian league — finished the 2024/25 season ninth out of 12 teams, with the young club soon setting their sights on a deeper run in their fifth season behind Priestman.

"It feels like Christmas Day to me to come back," said Priestman, whose wife, Wellington Phoenix FC academy director Emma Humphries, is a former New Zealand national team player. "I know I have to earn the trust of everybody. And I'll be working hard to do that."